PRESS ROOM & NEWS

Official 2013 Championship Sponsor is Qualcomm

MANCHESTER, N.H., April 26, 2013 ― FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a not-for-profit organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology, today announced that Qualcomm is the Official Championship Sponsor for the 2013 FIRST Championship, being held at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, April 24-27.

“We’re honored to include Qualcomm in the impressive list of leading organizations that are investing in our future leaders in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through their support of FIRST,” said Dean Kamen, founder of FIRST. “Qualcomm’s support, along with the support of all of our Sponsors, ignites and fuels our celebration of student accomplishments in science, technology, and innovation at the FIRST Championship.”

The FIRST Championship, which brings in more than 25,000 spectators and students, has an estimated economic impact of $20 million to the St. Louis area. The city has hosted the Championship since 2011. More than 200 of the Fortune 500 companies support FIRST. FIRST offers more than $16 million in college scholarships.

2013 Championship Program Sponsors this year are: Abbott, The Boeing Company, The Coca-Cola Company, FedEx, NASA, National Defense Education Program, NRG Energy, Inc., United Technologies, and U.S. Air Force.

About FIRST

Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST®(For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $16 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC® ) for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC® ) for Grades 7-12; FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL® ) for Grades 4-8; and Junior FIRST® LEGO® League (Jr.FLL®) for Grades K-3. Gracious Professionalism® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.

FIRST and the FIRST logo are registered trademarks of the United States Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST). LEGO is a registered trademark of The LEGO Group.